SULTAN CHICKEN PHENOMENON: FIVE FINGERS WHITE CHICKEN
Amizatul Najeha Lukmanulhakim, Pegawai Perkhidmatan Pendidikan, Bidang Pertanian, Pusat Asasi Sains Pertanian, Universiti Putra Malaysia. Emel: amizatulnajeha@upm.edu.my
Nowadays, the world of agriculture is getting hyped with the phenomenon of Sultan chickens that are being bred more and more to be used as pets in the homes of Malaysians. What is Sultan chicken? Why is it so popular? Let’s get to it.
Picture 1.0: Sultan chicken breeds.
Sultan is a type of chicken breed that originates from Turkey. Belongs to the group of chickens that have large, crested bones. The name of this chicken comes from the Turkish language Serai-Tavuk, Serai-Täook which means "chicken belonging to the Sultan's palace". Sultan chickens are usually bred for the purpose of decoration. Serai-Täook is raised in the castle gardens since the time of the Ottoman period in the 13th century.
Picture 3.0: Male Sultan Chicken (left) and female (right).
Even so, the Sultan chicken breed is almost extinct due to crossbreeding with other breeds such as the Silkie, Ancona and Orpington breeds, resulting in the loss of the main physical characteristic of the Sultan chicken, which is the white entirely. It is bred with various other breeds until it produces black Sultan chickens, blue Sultan chickens and many more. This has become a gigantic threat to the original white breed.
Gambar 2.0: Serai-Tavuk, Serai-Täook.
Serai-Täook can be identified by the presence of its external appearance or physical characteristics that are white in its entirety from the bones, legs to the tail. This includes a large and bulging crest, large nostrils and has a V-shaped bone covered with thick mane fur on the head. It also has five toes, different from common chicken breeds that usually only have three toes.
During the Ottoman period, Serai-Täook was considered a symbol of wealth and was only owned by the wealthy. This is due to most people at that time only rearing chickens for eating rather than for decoration. However, nowadays Serai-Täook or called Sultan chicken is also raised by ordinary people whether in the rural or urban areas.
Its beautiful color and attractive appearance always make it attention among other chicken breeds. However, its bright color can cause it to be the main attraction for predators because it is easy to see from further away.
Picture 4.0: The result of the Sultan Chicken breed that is cross bred with other breeds.
However, today's society is increasingly aware of the importance of proper breeding and is back to breeding animals according to specifications that does not lead to the risk of extinction for some breeds.
In conclusion, the Sultan chicken is a majestic breed of chicken to look at and is it good to be kept as a home pet if you can give it the best care it needs.
Date: 12th September 2023
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Date of Input: 14/09/2023 | Updated: 14/09/2023 | hasniah
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